THIRTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XII 615 



this horde which had driven the deer from his cover and the buffalo 

 from his wallow. 



They looked upon this horde of immigrants as the Indian had looked 

 upon themselves, as interlopers upon their food supply. However, they 

 did not resent it in the same manner as did the Indian. To the north- 

 ward beyond the Ohio, to the westward beyond the Father of Waters lay 

 untold hills and valleys dotted with buffalo and deer and elk, and once 

 more the pioneer treked only to be followed by swarms and swarms 

 of energetic, progressive, pushing people — into Missouri and Kansas, 

 Iowa, Nebraska and the Dakotas — on and on and on until checked by the 

 shores of the mighty Pacific. Such is a brief outline of the settlement 

 of this very land we call our beautiful Iowa. 



For what were all these people braving all these dangers? They were 

 in search of food. The most serious question that confronts the physi- 

 cal man in all ages is the food question — Where shall I get my daily 

 bread? Not, where shall I get my yearly suit of clothes? — but, where 

 shall I get my daily bread? 



Through the purpose and the mercy of God the Indian was placed 

 in this country — how and when I know not. But this was his country, 

 and it was and is an exceedingly good land. But he has never proved 

 himself worthy of this land. His opportunities were indeed rare and 

 his responsibilities exceedingly great, but he was never equal to his 

 opportunities nor arose to his responsibilities. His country was destined 

 to become the feeding ground of 100,000,000 of people and perhaps two 

 or even 30'0,000,000. In fact we know not what the future holds for this 

 country — but we know the Indian was not equal to his opportunity. He 

 has never made much of a success in causing two blades of grass to 

 grow where only one grew before. He has never succeeded in breeding 

 a better grade of cattle or hogs or horses. He has never been able to 

 appreciate his birthright — but has wasted this good land and God has 

 supplanted him and has given his birthright into our hands and the great- 

 est proposition before the people of this United States of America today 

 is, where shall we secure food — not for our immediate use — to feed our 

 100,000,000 of people. But where shall we and our successors secure the 

 food with which to feed the unnumbered millions, that he who stands 

 upon the mountain top and looks into the future can see peopleing our 

 country from ocean to ocean and from lakes to gulf. 



I venture the assertion that our increase in agricultural products has 

 not and and is not keeping pace with our increase in population. And 

 since our corn land has all come under cultivation, the irrigated land 

 of the v/est does not produce corn, the question is, how are we to pro- 

 duce the excess of corn that is to go towards making and finishing the 

 excess of pork and beef to feed the immediate future increase in pop- 

 ulation? I need not call your attention the great hue and cry that has 

 already gone up from all over the eastern parts of our country and the 

 countries of Europe concerning the excessive high price of food stuff. 

 The future does not promise any lowering of the price, and unless we 

 producers can increase the yield per acre of our cereals, the problem 

 in the near future will become a serious one. 



